Custom bass owners: how attached are you to your bass?

I designed my FBB from the ground up with the help of Matt Schmill, providing him with the specs I desired and trusting his eyes and his hands to give me the bass of my dreams. It arrived in February 2002 and almost instantly I bonded with it; it has been everything I've ever wanted and more. It's followed me from Ithaca to Chicagoland to Los Angeles and I've touched the truss rod once in that time. I have gone through musical floods and droughts with it, but I have never lost the simple and wonderful pleasure of feeling it vibrate with incredible sustain against my chest as I pluck its strings.

Does anyone else have this kind of attachment to a custom instrument? Perhaps it's the knowledge that my bass is completely unique--unless something has changed, Schmill is still drawing every template by hand, according to the pattern of the grain of the top--but I can't help but think that this kind of attachment is something that I could never develop with a bass of which fifty exact copies are hanging in music stores around the country.

I own a piccolo bass designed and made by a local (San Diego) luthier. While I did not design it, I did decide to have this wacky instrument (5 string piccolo, techically a 5 string tenor since I do tune it A-D-G-C-F). The product I ended up with exceeded my expectations. While I cannot use such a unique instrument in many, if not most, situations within a band, I do love this thing. Being able to sit down and have something made for me with my wacky idea sounding great is enough for me. I doubt I will ever sell it.

I own a couple of customs, but one is very special to me. It's a frankenjazz with a fender japan body, curbow neck (with a fender shaped headstock!), 2-tek bridge etc etc... anyway, it's a one of a kind to say the least, and I've been through sooo much with this instrument and love it more than any other material thing. But **** does happen, and since there's always a possibility of it getting completely destroyed somehow I just remind myself that there's a world full of wonderful instruments out there... and the sound is mainly in the head/hands/soul of the musician.

My custom Buzzard bass is the first "high dollar", custom instrument I have owned. For the first time in my life I have an instrument that is simply a work of art. It's the best playing and sounding bass I have ever been fortunate to own/play and I take some pretty lengthy steps to really treat it well.

I would do just about anything to ensure this instrument stays with me...

Thanks again Jamie (Count_Funkula) Goodman, for the immaculate craftsmanship and work!!

My custom wenge-necked (more like a 2 by 4) 5-string is the only bass that puts me in my own private place while I play. I close my eyes, lean back and become one with the round-wounds. My fingerprints become a hoarse chorus behind the main bass line. I seem to disappear. That must be love. However, if I had to lose all of my basses except one I would have to keep the old EB-O. I would be terrified to go on stage without it. The only thing custom about it is the wear and tear. Go figure.

I usually don't get attached to any material objects, however, I have a crush on my F Bass BN6 and my Zon Vinny (both custom ordered by me). The reason is that I imagined what they would play and feel like, and when they came in they met exceeded my expectations. You could put my Valenti in that same class.

The only bass I can NEVER sell is my Peavey Palaedium. My wife and I had just gotten together (1992-93), and were driving by Daddy's Junky Music in Salem, NH. I spotted the store, and asked if we could pull over. Walked into the store and me, being a HUGE Jeff Berlin disciple at the time, had to have the Palaedium. We didn't have that much money back then, but she encouraged me to get it anyway. Yep, they're both keepers. The Peavey is the longest I've ever had a bass (and ever will)... ditto for my wife.

for me it doesn't matter if it's a custom or not... my Carvin is a somewhat custom order, but i didn't make it. i still love it the same and it would suck to have to part with it. it doesn't matter if it's a $50 bass or a $5000 bass, each bass has a different feel to it. for example, the week i got my Carvin i still insisted on playing the Squier Jazz at church for some of the service.

Nah, A bass is a bass. I've owned so many great basses over the years. I regret selling a coupleof them only cause I could get alot more money now then when I sold them but that's about it.

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Same with me. As much as I might love an instrument, I'm not that attached to them. My only attachments are the personal ones because my wife bought them for me- not because of the instruments themselves, and I've had some nice basses. I only regret not selling some of them at a higher price that I could have gotten.

That's not to say that I don't freak out when one of them almost gets a ding or gets bumped into.

The bass - Nexus Freak Horn - it was designed by luthier Jacek Kobylski - www.nexus-guitars.com, with my suggestions (shape, look of the top, sound).
Man, that bass i soooooooooo cool. I mean, i paid some money ;} for it, but it's worth more than all the gold from fort Knox to me :>.

The bass - Nexus Freak Horn - it was designed by luthier Jacek Kobylski - www.nexus-guitars.com, with my suggestions (shape, look of the top, sound).
Man, that bass i soooooooooo cool. I mean, i paid some money ;} for it, but it's worth more than all the gold from fort Knox to me :>.

Depends on the Bass.My Elrick,you could'nt even pry it from My cold,dead hands.However,some of the others,I like em but, sometimes the magic fades and I move on.But, I believe I will run accross some keepers that I will grow attached to.